Healthcare Reform
We need comprehensive health care reform that will provide all Americans access to affordable, high-quality health care. Today we are confronted with a health care system that is broken. 47 million people are uninsured, and many more cannot afford the insurance they have or the costs of much needed treatments. Premiums are skyrocketing and patients are too often denied coverage from insurance companies seeking to make a profit. In fact, New York families have seen their insurance premiums grow 7.3 times faster than their wages over the last 8 years. Additionally, large medical bills have contributed to half of all bankruptcies and foreclosures in our country. Now is the time to put politics aside and solve this health care crisis.
The plan we are working on will be a uniquely American solution. Reform will be patient-centered and will provide all Americans the freedom to continue to choose their own doctor and their own plan. If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor; if you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Patient oriented reform will be instrumental in keeping insurance costs down and promoting better coverage.
But as important as it is to reform our health care system, we need to get this right.
I have worked with my colleagues to ensure that the bill that passed the House of Representatives, H.R. 3962 The Affordable Health Care for America Act, includes provisions that were key priorities for me. Specifically, H.R. 3269 will provide coverage for 96% of Americans and includes a public health plan option. In fact, the bill contains a number of important provisions that are essential for an effective nationwide healthcare system. Finally, I am committed to ensuring that any reform effort does not place additional burdens on the poor or middle class, which is why the Affordable Health Care for America Act does tax employee health insurance benefits.
Despite the well-publicized rancor of some attendees at town-hall meetings, roadblocks created by opponents of reform, and a concerted effort by some corporate and conservative interests, true healthcare reform is no longer a pipe dream, but a reality that is finally within our reach.
Please click here to see my Healthcare Townhalls presentation.
Health Care Testimonials from the 11th District
To learn more about what is in the healthcare reform legislation:
What Healthcare Means For You
10 Page Bill Summary
Summary of Manager's Amendment for HR 3962
Top Line Changes from Introduced Bill to Blended Bill
Top 14 Provisions that Take Effect Immediately
Public Health Insurance Option
Health Care for America's Children
What's In It for Young Americans?
Meeting the Healthcare Needs of Women
How Health Insurance Reform Helps Small Business
Meeting The Health Care Needs Of Senior Citizens & People With Disabilities
Restoring Equity Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage
More on Healthcare Reform
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on H.R.34, the Twenty-First Century Cures Act, which includes several provisions she introduced to invest in critical medical research.
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement announcing the start of open enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplaces for 2017. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of Americans without health insurance has decreased from 15.7% in 2010 – when the Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and signed in law – to 8.6% today.
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on letters she sent to senior members of the Appropriations Committee to support the continuation of the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review program, and the inclusion of sickle cell disease in the program.
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act, a bill she introduced which requires medical professionals who prescribe controlled substances to complete a training program that will reduce the abuse of prescription drugs.
The training program will include best practices for pain management, including alternatives to prescribing controlled substances; instructions on responsible prescribing of pain medications; and methods for diagnosing, treating, and managing a substance use disorder.
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement to celebrate open enrollment in New York State of Health and other health care exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act, from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016.
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on a report from the National Center for Health Statistics which indicated that the number of Americans without health insurance decreased by 15.8 million, or one-third, since 2013. The percentage of people without health insurance has declined to 9.2 percent, from 14.4 percent in 2013.
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the announcement by California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris that she will review allegations that the Center for Medical Progress created a fraudulent limited liability corporation to secretly record a meeting with a doctor from Planned Parenthood.
"As the country continued to digest the monumental U.S. Supreme Court ruling that preserved the Affordable Care Act (ACA), reaction from various lawmakers, political parties and stakeholders poured in."
Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the decision by the Supreme Court in King v. Burwell to continue subsidies for people enrolled in the federal exchange operated by the Department of Health and Human Services.